Ashleigh Castro

Ashleigh Castro is a New York seed grown in the California sunshine. A photographer by nature, she developed while capturing peace rallies in San Francisco and snapping shots of musicians. She started at DOPE taking photos for DOPE Magazine as it launched in Northern California in 2015. Aesthetically, her favorite medium to shoot in is film such as 35mm and medium format.
Since she studied journalism, she put her DOPEn to the paper and started writing stories about healing family through cannabis, sustainably sourced edibles and consciously created local products. Having developed obscure food allergies caused by histamine intolerance, she applies cannabis to alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain, inflammation and the anxieties surrounding food intolerance. Now managing the NorCal office as well as the area’s content, you can find her on the scene with the DOPE squad or roller skating in the Bay Area’s scenic spots. Her greatest joy working at DOPE is being able to help found a Dream Team of talent and style.

As a lifestyle publication, DOPE Magazine is dedicated to creating purposeful, relevant conversations. When we printed our inaugural issue in 2011 we positioned ourselves in the cannabis arena as a team of professionals determined to normalize the plant. While cannabis remains the central theme of our brand, 2017 has marked a turning point in our progression. We’ve built a steadfast framework of inclusivity when speaking about gender, race, class, politics, family and culture—with the ethos DEFEND.